2017 Honda Civic Type R Release Date, Specs News: Production Form of Hot Hatch Confirmed for Geneva Motor Show

By Georgia Gana, Christian Post Contributor Sunday, February 19, 2017

Honda has confirmed that the production form of the all-new Civic Type R will debut at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show in March. The Japanese automobile manufacturer has also announced that the high-performance hatchback will be sold in the United States, making it the first Type R vehicle to be made available in the market.

The automaker has not revealed specific details for the upcoming hot hatch but it is expected to be based on the new, tenth-generation Civic. This means that the high-performance variant of the subcompact car will have a lower and wider chassis that improves grip and handling stability.

The 2017 Honda Civic Type R was also previewed by a prototype that was first unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last September. Said to be a close-to-production model, it featured a new aerodynamic package with a front splitter and two rear spoilers, wide and aggressive bumpers, extended wheel arches and carbon-fiber side skirts.

In terms of design, the upcoming vehicle will feature a muscular body with a finely grained brushed aluminum-effect exterior finish. The red accent color is also seen on the "H" badge on the new air vent on the car's nose, the 20-inch piano black alloy wheels, the line that runs across the entire car and the exhaust system with three tailpipes.

Honda also revealed that the 2017 Civic Type R will be powered by the newest 2.0-liter VTEC turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. On the current model, the engine delivers 306 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque but enhancements on the powertrain could deliver around 345 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque for the new version. The all-new hot hatch will be a front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The 2017 Civic Type R will be unveiled on Tuesday, March 7 at 11:30 a.m. CET/ 5 a.m. EST. Honda's press conference will be held in Hall 4 of the Palexpo convention center in Geneva, Switzerland. Production of the high-performance Civic will be at Honda's production facility in Swindon, Britain, United Kingdom and will start in the summer.